Short Summary

THE AIR FORCE FLIGHT TEST CENTER AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF., TODAY HAD CRAMMED 1,000 HOURS ACCELERATED FLIGHT TEST TIME ONTO THE LOCKHEED C-141 STARLIFTER IN JUST SIX MONTHS...

Description

THE AIR FORCE FLIGHT TEST CENTER AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF., TODAY HAD CRAMMED 1,000 HOURS ACCELERATED FLIGHT TEST TIME ONTO THE LOCKHEED C-141 STARLIFTER IN JUST SIX MONTHS...APPARENTLY A RECORD FOR INTENSITY OF FLIGHT TESTING.

NO ONE AT EDWARDS KNOWS OF ANY PLANE ANYWHERE AT ANY TIME HAVING PACKED THIS MANY HOURS OF ACCELERATED FLIGHT TESTING INTO SO SHORT A TIME.

THE 1,000 HOURS IS EQUIVALENT TO A ROUNDTRIP TO THE MOON. BUT MORE THAN JUST FLYING WAS INVOLVED...THE AIR FORCE MADE MORE THAN 1,400 LANDINGS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY...CYCLED FLAPS, SPOILERS, AND LANDING GEAR HUNDREDS OF TIMES... AND GENERALLY CHECKED OUT THE OPERATIONS OF THIS NEW FANJET CARGO-TROOP CARRIER IN THE MANNER AN AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER TESTS NEW CARS ON THE SPEEDWAY.

RELIABILITY WAS APPARENT FOR THE STARLIFTER TO TAKE THIS KIND OF INTENSIVE TESTING, THE AIR FORCE SAID...MAINTENANCE WAS BELOW THAT ANTICIPATED.

BUT EVEN BEFORE MAJOR MATT ANSBRO, MAINTENANCE CHIEF, HAD THE TENTH 100-HOUR DECALE PASTED TO THE STARLIFTER
THERE WAS A NEW ANNOUNCEMENT...THE FLIGHT TEST CENTER WILL TRY TO IMPROVE ITS MARK!
IT WILL SEEK TO FLY THIS STARLIFTER AN ADDITIONAL 1,500 HOURS IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS...FLYING IT 15 HOURS DAILY INSTEAD OF 8 OR 10.

MEANWHILE, THE AIR FORCE SYSTEMS COMMAND, WHICH DIRECTED DEVELOPMENT OF THE STARLIFTER, HAD LOCKHEED-GEORGIA COMPANY AND TWO OTHER FIRMS COMPETING IN PREPARATIONS FOR A MUCH LARGER ALL-CARGO AIRCRAFT FOR THE MILITARY AIR TRANSPORT SERVICE...A PROPOSED AIRCRAFT KNOWN AS C-5A (CX-HLS).